Au Hoʻi Ia Oe
by Cre8tiveSoul
Summary: After a horrifying tragedy, KC Dexter returns to her Hawaiian home with her 16 year old son, Koa. Following her dream of rebuilding her family's business puts her in direct competition with the one person she never expected to see again - the high school crush who disappeared into thin air. Will friendly competition with Steve MacGarrett lead to romance? Or will KC get burned?


"Come on, kiddo! We've gotta get a move on. I have to meet with the contractor in 45 minutes." KC Dexter called out to her 16-year-old son, Koa. After waiting a moment with no indication, he had heard her, KC walked over to the base of the stairs and called out some motivation.

"Move it or no coffee!" She knew that would do it.

And she was right. The words had no sooner left her lips when she heard Koa's footsteps running overhead. She chuckled to herself. Yet another personality trait he had inherited - her desperate need for caffeine. KC turned to watch her son's lithe figure come down the stairs. She shook her head. Of everything that had happened in her life, she knew without a doubt that she can say she at least did one thing right. Koa was her light and her life.

"Ma, you can't threaten me like that!" Koa cheerfully exclaimed, his left hand draped over his heart, as he landed at the foot of the stairs. KC rolled her eyes at her only child.

"Then learn to use your alarm clock. Oh, wait, excuse me. Learn to use the alarm on your phone. I forget clocks are obsolete in this millennium," she joked.

It was Koa's turn to roll his eyes, but not in an annoyed teenager kind of way. It was in a fun loving, inside joke kind of way. Koa knew how lucky he was to have KC as his mother. The two had walked through fire together and managed to come out the other side, stronger and closer than most teenage boys and their mothers. Without thinking, Koa grabbed KC's arm and whirled her around into a bear hug.

KC grunted in surprise at being slammed into his chest. Feeling the intensity of his embrace, KC quickly wrapped her arms around her son's torso. "Hey, what's this all about?"

Koa pulled back, arms still wrapped around his mother's neck. "Can't I just give you a hug?" he asked, feigning hurt.

"Of course, you can. Just took me by surprise, is all," KC responded, searching her son's eyes.

"Well, good. Surprises are supposed to be good. And you deserve good, Ma, you do." Koa dropped a kiss on her left cheek and pulled out of the hug.

KC's eyes watered slightly. "How did I get such a good kid?" she asked with a smile.

Koa shrugged. "No clue. Certainly not because of you," he said with an evil little glint in his eyes.

KC chuckled. She knew he was teasing her. Their non-stop teasing, goading, and banter put some people off at first. Then they got to know the mother/son duo and realized they were just witnessing two best friends yanking each other's chains. There was nothing but love and respect there between them. The truth is, it had only been the two of them for years. They had built a beautiful friendship that hadn't affected the mother/son relationship. Koa knew his boundaries and KC knew hers and when there was an issue, they talked about it. KC was always a little tickled when people who had interacted with Koa sought her out to compliment her on what an intelligent, respectful young man he was.

Pulling herself out of her musings, KC grabbed her phone, purse and tote bag. "Let's go!" Koa walked over towards the front door and grabbed her tote and purse from her and walked out towards the car. KC smiled as she locked her front door and walked down the driveway to her Jeep. "What are we listening to this morning. And by what are we listening to, I mean, please for the love of all things holy, DO NOT put on the 'Hamilton' soundtrack on AGAIN!"

Koa shot a death glare at his mother. "Ugh, fine. How about 'Dear Evan Hanson'?" he asked.

KC scrunched up her nose. "I'd rather listen to 'Come From Away' or, given that we're heading to the cafe, how about 'Waitress'?" KC loved her son's appreciation of the arts but some days, the Broadway soundtracks were a little bit too much. If she were alone, classic rock would be pouring out of the speakers. A little AC/DC never hurt anybody, she thought.

"Fine," Koa acquiesced with barely veiled annoyance. "This morning we'll go with 'Waitress', just for you."

"Oh, well, thank you, son. How gracious of you," she chuckled.

They got on the road, heading towards the building KC - and her brother, Kevin - had owned for the past five years, since their mother, Karen, passed away. Karen had owned the building for years and ran her little cafe there since KC was a kid. Unfortunately, as Karen's health declined, so did the restaurant. KC's brother, Kevin, had tried to help but his heart wasn't really in it, especially from several thousand miles away.

Not wanting to get bogged down in the muddy memories of a time better forgotten, KC instead focused on what was ahead. Even though her mother's restaurant had closed, the building was paid for and remained in the family. After lengthy talks with her brother, which had also included a lot of yelling, finger pointing and booze, KC had convinced Kevin to hang onto the building for a little while longer. Never quite understanding why she was holding onto it when her life was in New York, not Hawaii, KC still wanted that building kept in the family. When everything went to hell a few months ago, KC and Koa flew to LA to see Kevin and the two siblings sat down and had a true heart to heart. It was a discussion they had not been able to have at the time of their mother's passing, but now, it was easier. Kevin had met a smart, intelligent woman who unfailingly called him out on his crap and he had fallen head over in heels in love. She had a three-year-old little girl and much to KC's amusement and secret joy, Kevin's 'adult' switch was flipped and suddenly, her hot tempered, hard headed brother who would rather have surfed all day and partied all night had become a responsible adult. He had still wanted to sell the building and split the profits. That is, until KC finally broke down and told him everything that had happened to her and Koa that horrifying night. In that moment, he knew his sister needed the building, needed this dream. There was nothing that could be done about the ordeal they had gone through, it was over and done with. So, to try and make it up to her, Kevin became KC's silent partner in the business, as he was 50% owner of the building, and supported her desire to start a little breakfast and lunch joint that catered after hours. Kevin truly admired his sister's strength and determination. And he would do anything for his nephew. It was Kevin who suggested KC name the cafe and catering business 'Koa', after him. After all, it was Hawaiian for warrior and that was exactly what KC and Koa were. Warriors.

KC stopped at a little diner not far from their house and Koa ran inside for coffee and came out with jumbo coffees and a bag of malasadas for them to share. As KC and Koa sang out the lyrics to 'She Used to be Mine', they pulled into the small parking lot adjacent to the building. KC let the car continue to run so Koa could belt out the big finish of the song before cutting the engine. She turned slightly in her seat to face him. "Hey, kiddo," she started, taking a deep breath. Koa looked at her expectantly based on the tone in her voice. The look on his face stopped her from saying what was really on her mind so she simply smiled at her son. "I love you."

Koa knew better - that she planned on saying something else - but the look on her face stopped him from saying what was really on his mind at that moment. So, he simply smiled at his mom. "I love you, too." He squeezed her hand and jumped out of the car.

KC watched her son walk across the small parking lot and turn the corner to the front of their new cafe. She couldn't help but think she had possibly taken away his best chance at making a career out of his love of theatre. He could have gone into any profession he wanted. He was a genius after all. His IQ of 167 put him right up there as a candidate for any Ivy League school of his choosing but that had never been what sparked his passion. He wanted to entertain people. He wanted to spread love and light and joy wherever he went. And KC had always encouraged him to be himself, follow his dreams and promised she would always support him. She just hoped that _her_ decision didn't stop him from doing that.

KC dragged herself out of the Jeep, her mind swirling with second thoughts and fears of missed opportunities. She grabbed her bags out of the backseat and followed the same path around the corner of the building.

Koa had already opened the door to the cafe by the time KC caught up to him. She almost ran him over as he just stood on the sidewalk. KC looked up just in time to stop herself from bowling him over. She laughed. "Is something wrong?" she asked as she looked inside from her spot on the sidewalk. "Did the construction fairies come overnight and finally get caught up?" She turned to Koa with a smile that quickly faded. "Kiddo?"

"I don't regret us leaving New York, Mom. Not for a minute."

KC just stared at him for a moment, wondering yet again how he could read her mind. Her eyes welled with tears. "Why would you say that?"

"Because that's what you're thinking. Come on, Mom. I know you just as well as you know me," he said, taking her hand in hers. "That's what you were thinking about on the way here, wasn't it? That by coming here, my chances to make it on the Great White Way were extinguished? Well, newsflash, if that's what I end up wanting to do, I can always go back. This is where we're supposed to be. I know that as sure as anything. Don't you? Don't you just feel like we came here at just the right moment?"

KC yet again stared at her son in wonder. "How in the hell do you do that?" she asked him, wrapping her left arm around his shoulders and hugging him. "How do you know exactly what to say to me and when to say it to me, huh? I'm the mom. I'm supposed to be the one to do that."

Koa smiled at his mother. "Well, I have known you my entire life, so…" he laughed. "Do me a favor? Stop worrying about me. I'm a big boy. I got this. And when I don't, I know all I have to do is walk the five feet over to you and ask what am I supposed to do."

"Are you insinuating that I hover?" she asked with a grin.

"Oh, no. Not at all," he teased, rolling his eyes with a laugh.

With that, the duo turned and walked into their little cafe. Neither noticed the two men, watching them from the corner across the street.

KC flipped the lights on as Koa made his way towards the back, past the debris left behind by yesterday's construction crew. KC shook her head, wondering yet again if this had been such a great idea.

"Breathe, Ma!" Koa called out from the back.

Smart ass, she thought with a smile on her face. How does he know? "I am, dear son," she answered. "I am," she repeated quietly so he didn't hear.

KC scanned the mess in what would eventually be the small seating area in the front of the cafe. There would be six booths - three on either side of the space - and several small bistro sets in the middle of the space. There would also be a small counter with a couple of bar stools adjacent to the glass display cases where KC planned on displaying her daily assortment of baked goods. The intent of the space was to emulate what her mother, Karen, had done here with her restaurant, back when KC and her brother, Kevin, were growing up. Looking at the chaos surrounding her, KC felt overwhelmed. She wondered how her mother had done it all those years. Karen started and ran her successful restaurant while raising two rambunctious kids alone. KC's father, Karl, had died in a freak accident aboard his submarine when KC was only four. She had no real memories left of him. She had been so young and hadn't spent much time with him due to his assignments at sea. Kevin had none. He was only two when Karl was killed. Karen raised the kids and ran her restaurant on her own. Right up until the lung cancer diagnosis six years before. KC shook her head to get the onslaught of images back into their vault. She couldn't think about everything that had transpired with her mother and Kevin and New York. KC had to remember to focus on the present.

The present and Koa were all that mattered.

Across the street, the two men who had been watching the mother and son duo turned and walked back into their building.

"See? I told you there was another new place going in around the corner and now we have competition. What are we going to do? Huh? What. Are. We. Going. To. Do!? We haven't even opened and now we have more competition than we already had!"

Steve just watched Danny have his daily breakdown, waiting for him to take a breath from his tirade and standing at least two arm lengths away from his partner's trademark gesticulation. Steve MacGarrett was no stranger to Danny Williams' rants, especially the ones that involved him feeling threatened by things outside of his control. After several minutes, Steve finally spoke when Danny stopped to take a breath.

"You done?"

"Am I done?" Danny responded sarcastically. "Am I done? Hello! Do you realize what this means? We're done before we even start!"

Steve shook his head. "Let me take care of it."

"Take care of it? What does that mean? Take care of it? What are you going to do?"

Steve rolled his eyes at the barrage of questions. "Don't worry about it. I said I'll take care of it."

Danny eyed his partner suspiciously. "You know something, don't you?"

Steve gave Danny a look that said he thought he was nuts. "What? What do you mean I know something? What does that even mean?"

"Well, I don't know, Steven, or else I wouldn't have asked you if know something," Danny responded. "Is the building in bad shape? Can you get it condemned?" Danny seemed a little too excited by that thought.

Steve shook his head. "Like I said, don't worry about it. I'll take care of it." He wished Danny would just drop the subject. Until he knew for sure, Steve didn't want to give Danny any ammunition to use against him.

Or her.

Then like a saving grace, Steve's phone rang, and the Governor's number popped up on his screen.

"Saved by the bell," Danny remarked.

"Yes, Governor. What can I do for you this morning?" Steve asked, thankful for the interruption. He just needed a little time to see if his suspicions were right, if what - or rather who - he saw this morning was true. If he was right, it meant...

KC Dexter was back. And that could mean only one thing.

Trouble.

Lots and lots of trouble.

Steve couldn't help but smile at the prospect.

As Steve and Danny climbed into the Camaro around the corner, the pickup truck of Jason Porter pulled up in front of Koa's. KC heard the truck come to a stop and the driver's door open and close. She walked over to unlock the front door for Jason, hoping he had good news for her.

They exchanged pleasantries and made their way towards the kitchen where KC had a small desk set up as a mini-command center for the business. It would eventually make its way upstairs to the small apartment that she was converting into her business office. KC took a deep breath, hoping for good news.

"So, Jason, please tell me we're getting somewhere on this? I'm getting nervous with the state the cafe is in that my grand opening is going to be neither grand, nor opening, on time," she said with a chuckle.

Jason nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know we've fallen behind. But, I have good news!"

KC listened expectantly as he explained that he had just hired a new crew and that he was putting them on her job, so they could get caught up and hopefully ahead by the end of the week. As Jason laid out a plan of attack, Koa came over and stood behind his mother. Jason was surprised as Koa interrupted him and asked several questions about the kitchen layout, the time frames and permitting concerns he had. By the time the meeting ended, Jason realized that Koa had taken control and KC had just let him. He gave KC a look that caused KC to laugh.

"Did I mention my kid's got a genius IQ and that I raised him in a kitchen?" The smile the proud mother wore rubbed off on Jason.

"I'm impressed, honestly. Most kids your age would be out on a surfboard, trying to hide the booze they liberated from their parents' liquor cabinets. You're a lucky mom, KC," Jason said sincerely, before turning to look at Koa. "And if you ever need a job, kid, you give me a call. I could use someone with a level head and working knowledge of the system on my crews."

Koa smiled and nodded his appreciation. KC stood and put her hand out to shake the man's hand. "Jason, thank you so much for everything. I'm feeling a lot better now about where we are in the process."

With another progress meeting in the books for the following week, Jason promised his crew would be on site by 1pm, as they were finishing up another job that morning. KC, Koa and Jason shook hands at the front door. KC locked the door and turned to Koa. "So, where did that all come from?"

Koa looked at her innocently. "What?"

"Don't 'what' me. What did you do, speed read the contractor's handbook last night?"

"Basically," Koa responded, eliciting a roar of laughter out of KC.

"Well, thank you. While most of what you asked was on my mental list, there were a few things I hadn't thought of. Maybe I need to convince Uncle Kevin to sell you his shares of the business and you become my not-so-silent partner."

Koa gave her a look of mock horror. "Partners? With you? Girl, please!" More peals of laughter rang through the cafe as they settled in to finish their coffee and malasadas. As they sat, Koa pulled KC's laptop up and started working on the cafe's website and KC worked on fine tuning her menus. The time passed in a companionable silence, with them tossing questions at each other from time to time. Just before noon, KC's cell phone rang, and she answered it on speaker.

"Good morning, thank you for calling Koa's. Do you want mustard on that?" KC and Koa shared a conspiratorial smirk at the response.

"Vomit. I would rather have vomit, sis," Kevin answered, making a gagging sound. KC and Koa laughed at the absurdity of Kevin's hatred of the condiment.

"What's up Uncle Kev?" Koa asked.

"Not much, kid. Just checking in to see if I need to make a trip over there to kick some contractor's ass."

"Actually, Koa asked a lot of great questions and things seem to be back on track," KC proudly informed her brother. She heard a chuckle from Kevin come across the line.

"Good job, kid," Koa's uncle said. Koa smiled. KC saw the pride in his eyes. Kevin, despite his many faults and attitude over the years, had been the only father figure Koa had ever known. Despite everything, Koa always looked up to his Uncle Kevin and his approval meant the world to the young man. "Keep up the good work and keep an eye on your mother. She's trouble." That earned a chuckle all around. Koa's phone rang, and his eyes lit up.

"Hey Uncle Kev, gotta run. Love ya, mean it, bye!" Koa exclaimed as he grabbed his phone and ran out the back door to speak to his mystery caller in private.

The siblings shared a laugh at Koa's abrupt departure. "Well, I know where I stand now."

"Don't take it personally, bro," KC said. "I think it's the new guy he met over the weekend."

"What is this? New guy number three since you got back to the island?"

"He's a good kid and I trust his judgement," KC responded.

"I know he is but not everyone else is," Kevin challenged. "Wait, you ran a background check on this one already, didn't you?" Silence. "KC?" Kevin asked with a warning in his voice.

"What? So, I ran into Duke Lukela the other day and we may have been catching up and he may have offered to do me a favor here or there," KC answered sheepishly.

"You promised him free malasadas for life, didn't you, sis?" Kevin laughed. KC stuck her tongue out even though she knew her brother couldn't see it. But she still chuckled at how well he knew her. She had indeed made some pastry like promises to Duke. "That's a punishable offense, young lady."

"Hey Ma, do you mind if I…." Koa started to say as he ran in from the back lot. He stopped dead in his tracks, looking past KC with a look of apprehension on his face.

"Kristin Cecilia Dexter, I have a warrant for your arrest," the booming voice behind her said.

KC's eyes went wide as she looked at Koa and she slowly turned around, completely unprepared for what was about to happen. One look and she knew she was in trouble.

Lots and lots of trouble.

KC couldn't help but smile at the prospect.


End file.
